You Remind Me
by Akina
Summary: *update chap. 9* Rei is determined to find the boy who saved her life during the destruction of her home, but will finding him cost her more than she imagined?
1. teaser

Akina's Notes: O.K. Here's another story idea. I know I have two I'm working on already, but you can stop an idea from popping into your head. ^_^. This won't be all that long; I just liked the idea… So, tell me what you think, since I have two stories going already, let's say that if I get 10 reviews I'll put another chapter up. That way, I won't worry too much about the stories getting in the way of each other. This is going to be a short, teaser chapter.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot.  
  
  
  
You Remind Me; Chapter 1: teaser  
  
She was running away form the building that so many screams were coming out of. Once she felt that she was a safe distance away, Rei looked back at her former home. The large apartment complex had caught on fire from an explosion that had taken place on the thirteenth floor. Her eyes filled with tears as all her memories were slowly burned away. Suddenly her stomach wrenched and she bent over, vomit coming out of her mouth.  
  
"Cindy? Cindy where are you honey?! Where are you baby? Where's my baby" screamed a young woman. She was in hysterics. Faintly, Rei heard a small, child's voice call, "Mommy!" Rei ran towards the sound. After a few minutes, Rei listened for the voice again. "Mommy!" Rei's stomach felt like it hit the ground as she realized that the small voice was coming from the burning building. The mother had o heard the tiny voice call out too.  
  
"Cindy!" she screamed. "Oh, God, she's trapped in the building! My baby is burning in the building! Somebody please help her! Please!"  
  
Rei didn't even wait to hear the last of the mother's sentence. She was already taking off towards the building. She had heard the panic in the woman's voice, which was enough for her to know how much this woman loved her daughter. She couldn't let something so wonderful die.  
  
Once she reached the building, Rei burst through the door. Coughing she ran up the stairs, listening for a sign to where the girl was. She heard a wail of fright to her left when she got to the third floor. The smoke was so thick, she could hardly see, but still, Rei kept going. She moved as quickly as she could towards the voice. Rei stopped to listen when someone grabbed her arm. She turned to see a boy with dark brown hair that fell into his dark blue eyes was the one holding her back.  
  
"You have to get out of here!" he yelled.  
  
Rei shook her head, "There's a kid in here, I'm not leaving without her."  
  
"I know that, I'll get the kid, you get out." Without another word, he pushed her back towards the stairs. She stumbled down the, Suddenly strong arms grabbed her and began to carry her. "Come on miss, the building is going to collapse, we need to get you out of here. Rei looked up to see a firefighter carrying her. Once outside, paramedics began to check her vital signs. She tried to tell them about the boy and the little girl still in the building, but all that came out was a cough.  
  
There was a giant crash and debris was falling everywhere. 'NO!' thought Rei, 'that boy hasn't come out yet! What about the little girl?' Tears began to run down her face. "NOOOOOOOOOOO! It's NOT FAIR!" she yelled. That boy hadn't been any older then her and the girl was even younger. They had so much to live for. Rei sobbed 'so much to live for…'  
  
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A.N. So, what do you think? Please review. 


	2. Chapter 1:Lost

            Akina's Notes:  Hey all, I decided to update this now.  It's been a while, but I'm still planning on writing this.  Thank you to all my reviewers!  I appreciate it a lot.  Yes, this is an A.U. fic.  That's all I'm gonna say right now for the sake of the plot so, sorry.  Ask questions if you want, but a lot of them are probably going to be answered in the story, so you'll have to wait.  Well, here we go!  Please review!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

Chapter 1: Lost 

Rei walked aimlessly down the street.  She felt lost on the inside and out.  No home to go home to, no warm bed to sleep in.  Only memories that burned her mind just as hot as the fire that burned her home down. The screaming, the crying, and most of all a boy her age trying to save a little girl, only to loose his life along with the young girl.  He had saved her.  Sent he out of the building to save the girl, and only because he did, had she lived.  Rei was being eaten from the inside with guilt.  It should have been her that had died, not the boy.  

            It had been about an hour since the hospital had released her.  She had been fine when they had taken her in; she had only inhaled a little smoke.  So now instead of having an uncomfortable hospitable bed to attempt to sleep in, she had the street.  She couldn't afford to spend the night in a motel, she had spent her money on food, bills, and rent.  Her next paycheck wouldn't come for a week, and if she wanted to eat, she couldn't spend money even for a bed.  It wasn't that she was extremely poor, just that she didn't have a lot and on her last shopping trip, she had splurged a bit and bought that expensive pair of jeans that she loved so much.  How was she supposed to know that a fire would steal all her possessions? 

            There was a shelter for people who had lived in her building, but Rei didn't want to sleep on a cot when a homeless child might need it so much more.  She had been told that space was limited.  

            Walking down the almost deserted street, a small sign caught Rei's eye.  It was small and unadorned, but something pulled her toward it.  Willed her to read it.  The sign read Hikawa Jinja and had a small arrow pointing up a low hill with a winding dirt path.  Deciding to follow the path, Rei began short walk up the hill. Standing on top of it, she could see a small courtyard surrounded by low wooden buildings.  Cherry trees lined the path and surrounded the buildings.  It was beautiful and peaceful.  Just looking at the scene before her mad Rei relax a bit and feel a little better.  

            Continuing down the path, Rei took in all that her senses could.  The wind caressed her face and lightly toyed with her hair.  With it's calming touch came the soft scent of flowers and grass.  Her eyes told her that the wonderful smells came from the many neatly trimmed flowering shrubs and the lush green grass that covered the ground like a soft carpet rippling in the wind.  

            Normally, religion wasn't something that Rei believed in.  She liked to think that the only thing that controlled her life was the choices she made.  Still, in times like these, religions might help her just a bit.  As she arrived in the courtyard, Rei looked for a priest or some other member of the staff around here.  Not seeing anyone, so she just stood in, trying to take in all the sights that she could

            "Hello, may I help you with anything?"  The voice made Rei start.  She turned to see that the voice belonged to a short man with the strangest grin on his face.  "Maybe you'd like to buy a fortune or something?" he continued cheerfully.  The look on his face made Rei raise an eyebrow she was about to reply when she heard a voice from behind her.  

            "Grandpa, are you scaring away the customers again?"  Rei froze upon hearing the voice.  She would recognize it anywhere.  Turning Rei confirmed her suspicions by seeing a boy her age with deep-blue eyes and hair the color of dark chocolate.  She recognized him through the scratches and bruises that covered his face and whatever body parts showed through his uniform.  The boy must have recognized her too since his eyes widened with surprise once he saw her face though only for a split second.  

            "Well, what can I help you with?" The old man's voice brought Rei's attention back to him.  

            Now that Rei had seen the boy, her mind had lost concentration.  Slowly, she formed an idea to find out more about him.  "How do I become a worker her?"  The old man's eyes enlarge greatly.  She guessed that he hadn't been expecting her request.  

            "Well, if you really want to be a priestess, you…………………"  

            Rei swept the path free of leaves that would hide it from view if she didn't do this often.  It was just one of the many tasks that she had to do while working as a priestess at the shrine.  While working there, she hadn't learned much about the boy that had saved her life and the little girls.  She had learned that his name was Heero, and that he was her age.  Another thing that she had learned was that he rarely talked, and the only person he was even relatively friendly with was "grandpa."  

            The old man that ran the temple had asked Rei to call him "grandpa" for some reason that was unknown to her.  She guessed it had something to do with him not having children.  Everyone else that worked at the temple called him that so, Rei went along with it.

            Conversation was sparse at the temple.  There was a lot to accomplish during the day so the few people that worked at the temple had little time to stop and talk.  Rei didn't really mind since not having to speak to many people allowed her to think and sort out the thoughts that seemed to run rampant through her head.  The only person that Rei ever had any inclination to talk to was Heero.  He seemed to avoid her tough, so Rei hardly ever talk to him, and when she did, he either ignored her or gave an undistinguished grunt. 

            Lost in her thoughts, Rei didn't hear grandpa approach.  "Tell me something, Rei.  What is it that makes you always attempt to talk to Heero?"

            Startled, Rei turned and looked at the short old man.  "Don't do that to me!  You scared me half to death!" she yelled.  Then angrily turned back to her work.  

            Grandpa chuckled and muttered some joke only he could hear.  This only agitated Rei even more.  She began taking deep breaths to try to calm herself down.  Still smiling, the old man spoke again.  "You didn't answer my question."  He said in a calm fashion, but Rei heard an underlying tone that suggested that she answer his question.

            "Because he helped and a little girl once, and I want to know why he was there at that exact moment.  I want to try to become his friend even, maybe."  

            "I'm going to warn you of one thing.  Heero hides his secrets deep, and guards them well.  Many have tried to dig them up and none of them ever succeeds. He has a dark past that I can only guess bits and pieces of.  Whatever you find out, remember it's because he lets you, don't go running your mouth off about whatever it is.  People such as Heero aren't trusting.  If you some how manage to gain his trust during your time here, don't break it."  With that said, the old man turned and left.  Rei watched his retreating form, mystified.  

            Turning back to her work, Rei felt her temper rising again.  How dare he give her advise without knowing her intentions!  He knew nothing about her and the way he even suggested at her telling anyone's secrets was just going to far!  With a start, she realized that the old man had been right.  He had read like lines in a book.  She had planned on telling everyone about his heroic efforts, but thinking about it, Rei realized that he probably didn't want to be known or else he would have brought the child to her mother or told someone else.  No one even seemed to know that he had been at the burning, except her.  Her anger had now subsided, instead of thinking of things that had happened to her, she began to think about a certain boy with hair the color of dark chocolate and eyes a deeper blue than even the ocean.   

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	3. Chapter 2: Learning Consequences

Akina's Notes:  Well, once again it has gone far to long since I have even sat down at my computer and attempted to type another chapter of this.  I'm extremely sorry to those of you who where hoping for a quick coming out of this chapter.  My schedule is slowing down now though so hopefully I'll have more time to spend on this story. Please review if you read this! I can't get any better or more motivated if I don't get feed back from readers!

You Remind Me

Chapter 2: Learning consequences 

            It had been a couple weeks since Rei had first began her work as a priestess at the temple.  She wasn't really an official priestess since she was going through her training still, but most of what grandpa had taught her was sinking in quickly.  In fact, Rei fit into the temple life well.  It was a little weird since she was the only female on the temple grounds, but then again considering that there were only three other people working here besides her and grandpa, it wasn't such an odd thing after all.  

            One of the guys, Yuuichirou, was really friendly.  He was always talking to Rei and helping her with things she needed an extra hand with or explaining how to do something she didn't understand.  She could always count on him to be there for her if she needed him.  His shoulder had caught more than a few of her tears over the last couple weeks.  He probably thought Rei to be a little annoying, but he never complained or hinted for her to leave her alone, so she counted him as her closest friend. It was a little strange since she normally didn't get extremely close to people until she knew them better and she never really confined in people.  She didn't want to have to add her troubles to their problems.  

            One of Rei's favorite pastimes now was gazing into the fire.  Grandpa had shown her how to see visions in the fire and she had been working hard at it ever since.  Most of the time all the visions showed were strange and confused images, few pieces of a puzzle, if it showed her anything at all.  But the visions were getting stronger and she was slowly learning how to interpret them.  Grandpa seemed surprised at her dedication to this hobby, but he didn't understand what it could do for her if she could harness this power.  Rei had not really much of a desire to look into the future, that didn't bother her.  The future didn't cause her to wake with a start and cold sweat in the night.  It was the past she was interested in, and the only way to find out the truth to what happened was these visions since the only person who could help her with it was Heero, and he kept wall as thick as a castle gates up around him at all times.

            Heero was always so distant and cruel to Rei. Yet he was the one person who seemed to live in Rei's thoughts almost every waking minute.  It mad no sense!  Still, whenever she saw him Rei felt her heart skip a beat and her stomach clench tight. She hated the way that she reacted around him. Even more, she hated the way he always ignored her.  It frustrated her to no end that he couldn't even afford to give her the time of day!  If two people shared a dramatic experience, if they ever saw each other again they normally would at least probably hold a short conversation.  What was about this boy that had her so attracted and bound him when he frustrated her so?  Maybe it was the way his dark hair fell into his eyes in just the right way to make him look a little rugged, but not unkempt.  Or maybe it was the way his muscles seemed to be perfectly developed.  Though these were pluses in his favor it wasn't either of those that held sway over her.  It was his eyes.  Those cold blue eyes that she sometimes thought to be made out of ice, the orbs that reveled next to nothing, and yet to her they revealed everything, that was what drew her to him.  They told her that there was a reason he pushed everything away, a secret to horrible to let anyone find out about. It explained to her his actions and lack of words.  Why else would a person allow himself to be so cut off from human contact? Even the orneriest old man talked to people, even if was just to yell at them.

            On a particular morning, Rei was a little late to get up since she had sat long at the fire and stayed up well past midnight.  In her rush to try and finish what she was supposed to accomplish Rei ran into Heero.  "Gomen Heero-san," she said apologetically with a short bow she started to hurry off again when she caught the look in his eyes.  It was still cold and unfriendly, but there seemed to be more so then usual.  Instead of walking off as he normally did, Heero stood his ground and just glared at her.  Rei was beginning to feel a little bit uncomfortable, "what is it? I said I was sorry!" The words sounded like she was on a short temper.  She didn't mean for them to sound so harsh, but then again why should he care?

            "I know what you're trying to do," stated Heero his voice as icy as his eyes. "Don't." With that he stalked off, but before he got to far off he turned again and said, "if you continue with your search to find out more about that night, I'll kill you." Rei was glad he turned back to the direction he was walking immediately so that he couldn't see how taken aback she was. Once she recovered, she returned the glare he had given her.  How dare he talk to her in that way! If he kept it up, the boy was going to have a lot of hell to pay. Unlike his probable belief that she couldn't fight, she'd be able to beat him down faster than he could count to five. 

            For the rest of the morning, Rei was put into a bad mood.  After her chores, she managed to find some spare time before her training began.  She didn't really feel like trying to read the fire, besides with the mood she was in she probably wouldn't get much out of it anyway. It seemed that visions came easier when she could relax. So, she decided to take a walk.  The paths near the temple were beautiful along with the ones she decided to make on her own.  The region was near the foot of a small mountain range so the air was fresh and had the scent of pine needles.  The weather was right for a walk anyway, a nice summer day with the sunny shining merrily from behind a cloud.

            While she walked, Rei listened to the birds chirping to one another in the trees. They all sounded so carefree. Continuing to listen, she heard a faint sound.  It was so soft she would have missed almost didn't hear it even when she focused on it. She walked in the direction that she thought she heard it coming from.  After a few moments, she stood to listen again and didn't hear anything. Shaking her head and telling herself she was crazy she turned to leave when she heard it again, only this time she knew vaguely what it was.  If she was right there were to voices talking in hushed undertones and a soft mechanically noise that she couldn't name. Suspicious, she walked toward the sound as quietly as possible, it lead her to a small clearing.

            Standing in the clearing was Heero talking to another boy with long brown hair.  Unlike Heero, this boy seemed friendlier; it was just the way that he stood there casually with his hands on his hips.  Heero always looked like he was going to pounce on you. Behind them were to large machines, halfway covered with leaves and branches made to look like a few fallen trees. Rei stifled a gasp at their immense size and amazing look of sheer power. She wondered what they were doing out here. Taking her eyes off the huge machines, she watched the two boys and began to listen to their conversation. She was thankful that they seemed intent making repairs to their machines and their conversation.

            "If you think she's suspicious of you, why don't you leave?  If you leave then she can't question you anymore." Asked the boy with the longer hair. 

            "I can't leave, that would be even more suspicious. Where would I go if I did, and where would we hid our Gundams? We can't leave them out here. Besides she doesn't even really talk to me. She used to try, but she gave up after a while. She seeks her answers a different way." Rei was shocked at his speech. This was the most she ever heard him say.

            "We could find somewhere else to go, another city maybe."

            "I thought you said you were happy here, Duo."

            "I am, but if our mission's safety is in jeopardy then we have to find a different way to accomplish it, do we not?  God, who would have thought that the world's Perfect Soldier would be the one to ruin us!" The last statement was a joke, but Heero didn't seem to think that it was very funny. Rei wondered what he was talking about.

            "I couldn't let her go get the girl.  I set the bomb to go off to close, I knew exactly where the little girl was and exits that were safer to leave from. I wasn't going to let another little girl die from my doing."

            Rei recoiled as if she had been slapped. It had been Heero who had caused the fire. She must have made some sort of noise since both of the boys' heads snapped in her direction. Not sure if they had seen her, Rei fled back in the direction of the temple. If she made it to the temple before they found her she'd probably be fine, if she didn't make it, well she didn't want to think about that. She was sure that she could hear feet falling quickly behind her, they sounded like they were closing in. Rei tried to block out thoughts from her head. Suddenly the ground rose up to meet her and there was a sharp pain in her ankle. Blasted tree root sticking out of the ground. Trying to rise up, Rei looked over her shoulder and saw the two boys nearing where she was sprawled on the ground.  It was almost pointless to try and get up, but she still tried. 

            "If you stay there I might not hurt you." Heero told her in a tone that proved he meant what he said. Rei tried desperately to calm her heart and slow her breathing. It was hard to do when you had the barrel of a gun starring you in the face.

            "You are horrible!" she screamed at him. Rei became aware of the tears running down her cheeks.  Her home, her life, all destroyed by this boy. 

            "I do what I must in order to carry out my missions." Heero's voice was monotone now, devoid of any emotion. "There were reasons I did what I did."

            "You want to explain them maybe then?  It was my home, I think I deserve one." Rei glared at Heero, daring him to try to justify what he did.  She hated him now with the very core of her being.

            "Sorry babe, but he can't do that and neither can I. If I could I would, but that would be hazardous to my health I do believe. You don't normally want too much information getting out about you when so many people want you dead.  Which is precisely why you'll have to come with us," the boy's tone was cheerful but his grim features betrayed it and so did the words in which he tried to set that cheerfulness in.

            "What, are you going to make me your prisoner?" scoffed Rei.  Her ankle was still extremely painful and this was all beginning to be too much.

            It was the boy that Heero called Duo that answered once again. "Essentially. Here, let me help you, it could be possible you broke something in that ankle." He offered out a hand, but Rei first tried to stand up on her own.  When she failed miserably a few times, Duo grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet and supported her weight. With Heero's gun and her lack of the ability to walk on her own, Rei allowed herself to be lead in the opposite direction of the temple. All the while the thought that she lost two homes in one month was pretty unlucky kept running through her head.  For, she doubted she would see Hikawa Jinja ever again.


	4. Chapter 3: Butting Heads

Akina's Notes: Ya, I spent a little more time on this chapter for editing and stuff. I have a lot I'm planning on working with for this story; I sometimes just need an inspiration. I usually get that from the music I listen to while I write…yes, I am one of those people who almost need music to write too. Anyway, please review! I really love them and I'll be prompted to write faster if I get a lot of them. Yay for motivation! Well, here's the chapter I hope you like it!

You Remind Me

Chapter 3: Butting Heads

            It seemed to Rei that she had been dragged through the woods for hours. In fact, she knew it had been at least three hours. The small group had started towards their destination before sunset and now the moon was well on her cycle through the sky. Where was their destination anyway? She hoped they were getting close because she felt like she was about to die of exhaustion and pain. With each step razor blades shot up her entire leg. Despite of the pain and her lack of sleep, Rei was constantly trying to devise a plan to get away from the two boys that were keeping her prisoner.

            Going over the facts in her head, Rei saw that odds of escape were slim. Rei could barely hobble along, so she couldn't even begin to think of running. Heero had a gun, which was constantly pointing at her. Duo was leading the way searching for an easy path for her. In his hands was a rope that connected to her bound wrists. Things were looking pretty bad for Rei. The only thing she had going for her was that the two boys had never dealt with her before, and she wasn't about to give up the fight yet. If they thought that they could take her on easily, they were crazy. She just wasn't in much condition to put up a fight. That and the blasted gun that Heero was holding didn't make it any easier!

             After a few of the longest minutes of her life, Rei finally saw a low building. It was obvious that it hadn't been built in the idea of attracting attention. The paint on the walls was a neutral color that blended in with the wooded area that surrounded it. There was absolutely nothing even was remotely interesting about the exterior of the building, at first glance. Further inspection showed that it was designed to blend into the environment. There were a few boulders that must have been left by some glacier or something that were about the same color as the building. From a distance Rei saw that the building could be easily over looked as a large boulder. The door was artfully hidden to look like an indentation in the rock face. 

            As frightened as she was, Rei felt somewhat relived that she wouldn't have to walk much further. It was beginning to move on from unbearable to so bad that she could no longer see straight. Still, she kept moving forward, at least a little relief was on its way and it would only come when she reached that building.

            Once inside, Heero and Duo allowed her to sit for a few minutes while Duo was sent off to look for some Doctor. Heero kept an ever-watchful eye on Rei. She just glared at him in return. It was hard to stare into those cold blue eyes for long, but she held her gaze. She could hardly stand to look at him, she wanted him to know that she hated every bone, no, cell in his body. This was going to be a tough battle to get away from here.

            Duo returned after a short while with a man wearing a white coat that Rei assumed was the "doctor." He certainly didn't look like one, if he was, Rei wouldn't want him to be performing heart surgery on her. He looked like he couldn't even operate a chain saw with his oddly shaped metal body parts. The look on her face must have been surprised because the doctor gave her a wry smile and said, "Most people wouldn't even stare at me. They seem to think it is impolite."

            "Sorry," Rei managed to mutter while the heat rose off her cheeks. The embarrassment disappeared quickly when she realized that he would probably be added to her growing list of captors. She sure felt popular.

            Still smiling, the doctor bent down and gently tried to pick up her throbbing ankle. Rei immediately recoiled on instinct, but she realized that he might be able to help and let him look at it. As he gently prodded at it, Rei had to bite her lip to keep from crying out and her eyes were watering so bad the world was all a blur.

            "It is definitely broken. Let's get her to the medical wing so a doctor can take a look," said the doctor.

            Rei frowned, confused. "I thought you were a doctor, Duo said something about getting one when we got here."

"I'm a scientist doctor, not a medical doctor." He raised an eyebrow in Rei's direction. Or at least that's what she assumed. It was hard to tell with the odd glasses he wore. "We will have time for introductions later, now let's try and see if we can get you out of some of this pain. I'm sure it's not very pleasant. Duo, would you help me here." Duo moved to her side without what even seemed to be a second thought and both of them helped her stand right after he took off the rope that held her hands together. "Sorry, I'm afraid walking is the easiest way to get there from here. It's on this floor and walking is faster than waiting for a gurney at the moment." So, Rei hopped along on her good foot with Duo and the scientist carrying most of her weight. Heero followed behind, his gun no longer trained on her, but still in his hand at the ready.

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Rei sat on the bed that was in the room that she had been put in. Her ankle was now securely wrapped in a cast and she had been given something for the pain. As she waited for whatever was supposed to happen next, she looked around the small room that had become her prison cell. The walls were a generic white and so was the linen on the bed. The tiles one the floor were a slate gray along with the back of the locked door. There wasn't a lot of space for things and the only furniture other than the bed was a white office type chair both of the two items were securely bolted to the floor. There wasn't even a window to look out of. Obviously the room hadn't been designed for the comfort of its occupant.

Letting out a big puff of air, Rei let the rest of her body fall on the bed. The day's events kept running through her brain. The man that had claimed to be a scientist (he still hadn't told her his name) didn't exactly follow her idea of a bad guy stereotype. Yet she felt certain that it was his decision that she remained here and that he was in charge of the two boys who had caught and brought her to this place. There was plenty of evidence to back up her convictions. For one, both of the boys, along with any others that had been around her followed his orders without question. She didn't know if it was out of fear or respect or both, but everyone listened to him. Another reason was his commanding presence. He felt like he was the 'commander' of the people here. It was like being caught by the freaking military or something!

The lock clicking of the door and the sound of it opening interrupted Rei's thoughts. Footsteps shuffled inside.

"I trust your feeling a bit better?" the voice of the scientist broke the silence. Rei just stared up at the ceiling in response. Just because his words and tone were kind didn't put him on her good side. He _was_ holding her captive.

"Not going to answer me? Yes, well, I can't blame you now can I? I am the one holding you here. There is a greater good to what we're doing here that you can't possibly understand…" Rei blocked out the rest of what the man was saying. She couldn't even start to see the greater good in destroying so many people's home. _"Oh, God, she's trapped in the building! My baby is burning in the building! Somebody please help her! Please!"_  No, there could be no greater good in destruction like that. "Please, try to understand, it's a matter of life or death that you stay here." Was he still talking?

Rei sat up and gave the scientist a glare. She noticed that Heero was silently staring at her too. "A matter in life or death? You selfish bastard, a little girl almost died in that building! Peoples' lives were almost utterly destroyed and you talk of your own life being at stake. You selfish bastard." It amazed even Rei that the volume her voice reached as she yelled at him was so loud. She hadn't ever been this angry before. The fact that this man was trying to justify what he had ordered to be done made her sick.

"I was hoping that you would try to understand, I had no choice in that matter," said the scientist. "More lives were saved that way." His voice had lost all its former warmth. "I don't want to have to fight with you to try to get you to listen to me, but if you want a fight, then it's a fight you'll get." Rei glared at his back as he left the room. Heero lingered in the doorway a moment longer. As the door started sliding shut, a strange look passed over his cold features. Was that shame?

Rei chuckled to herself in her cell. How deceived the old man was. He might have the upper hand now, but he had only won one battle of the war, and she wasn't about to give in to anyone. No, not yet. It would be much harder than that to take her down.

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A.N.: Thanks for reading, and please, if you read it review! The chapters will come faster that way! Like I said, it's motivation for me… Anyway, thanks again, and until next time, goodbye!  


	5. Chapter 4: Breaking

Akina's Notes: Thank you so much for all the reviews! I don't think I've ever had that many reviews for a single chapter! Thank you so much! I'm keeping my promise and writing this now while I feel like it before I get lazy again! J I will answer all questions you have throughout the story! You think I would just give my plot away? Well, on with the story and please review when you're done reading!

You Remind Me:

Chapter 4:

            Rei had no idea how long she had been locked away in the cell. With no window she couldn't possibly tell the passage of time. All she knew was that she hadn't eaten since she had last seen the scientist and Heero. Water was also a scarcity and it came at irregular intervals so she couldn't figure out what time of day they came around. It was like Chinese Water Torture never knowing what would happen when.

            Shifting her position on the bed, Rei felt a sharp stab of pain shoot up her leg. Her ankle was just as painful as it had been when she got there, maybe worse since she hadn't any drugs to make it go away. She was slightly thankful for the pain though. It was reliable and kept her from drifting too far from reality.

            Suddenly Rei heard the click of a lock as her door slid open. She looked up expecting to see a guy dressed like he was in the military with a small cup of water. Instead it was Heero. He was just standing in the doorway, staring at her, his face void of emotion. All she could do was stare back at him. Her face kept bouncing between relief, hate and dread as her emotions ran rampant in her head. She didn't know whether to be thankful to see a familiar face or be worried that he had been sent to kill her.

            Finally Rei said something unable to bear the silence that filled the room. "May I help you?" Her voice was scratching from lack of use and the tears she had shed. It was almost unrecognizable.

            "I was ordered to come see if you wanted food," said Heero.

            Re's stomach almost roared at the thought. "Would I ever." She began to get up when Heero put up a hand, stopping her effectively.

            "I was sent here to see if you wanted it, not give it too you. You have to prove you want it first."

            "My stomach's voice should be enough to prove to you that I'm hungry."

            "You don't understand. We need to make sure that we can trust you enough to bring you out of here and give you some more freedom," Heero's voice was cold as he told her this. It almost seemed even icier than usual, like he hated what he was doing. He walked closer to the bed watching her reactions closely. "You must agree to work for Doctor J. and the other scientists."

            "And if I don't?" Rei didn't like the sound of this bargain.

            "You'll stay locked in her for a while, no food, less water." 

            "Hardly sounds fair. Tell me, why would I agree to work with someone who I can't stand? How can I work to achieve something I don't believe in?"

            That was all the response that Heero needed, he got up and left the room, leaving Rei's stomach growling at him in agitation. 

**************

            Once outside, Heero leaned against the wall as he regained his emotionless composure.

            "Don't worry Heero, she'll come around. It's not long until a starving human being will follow the will of the person who decides to feed it. It worked for you didn't it?"

            "Hn," was all of Heero's reply. He didn't even look up, he knew who it was. The one man who had been able to bend him to his will and Heero had more hatred for him then anyone could imagine. He was Doctor J's slave to the core, and he loathed the very thought of it. What could he do though? It was impossible for him to leave this place. His home and prison.

            Once Dr. J left, Heero broke down in sobs. Unknown to him, he was being watched and the one watching him was extremely unhappy with this outburst of emotion.

**************

            Dr. J frowned at the gray image of the young man breaking down into tears. This girl might have more effect on him than he had predicted. It wasn't good to have his perfect soldier affected this way. He might revolt against the whole operation and destroy it. The boy was good enough; the only thing that kept him in line was his fear of being broken again. Every animal could be broken, be that horse or human. All it takes is a little training.

            Switching to the screen next to the one above Heero, Dr. J watched as the young girl lay on her bed staring into space. She was beginning to trouble him. He hadn't thought that she had this much fire in her. Most people give in after three days without food. The only one that had taken longer had been Heero, and even he gave in the end. He would just have to use a little more water to quench this fire. In time, she too will go out to just burnt ashes and blackened logs.

**************

            Rei lay miserably on her bed. She knew that she probably stunk since she hadn't taken a shower in forever. That was the least of her worries though. What if she was left here to starve or die of dehydration? Those weren't on her list of ways to die. She had always hoped that she would die some dramatic death that people would call honorable or even peacefully in her sleep as an old woman. Not as a teenager being stubborn. Maybe the way the scientist called Dr. J was not that bad. She was just not looking at the whole picture. He offered food, water, and relief from pain, and all she did was throw it back in his face like an ungrateful brat.

            _What are you thinking Rei?!_ She questioned herself. The man had been behind the destruction of her home. He was keeping her here like some disobedient slave. How could he not be a horrible person? She was almost convinced that he had done something to Heero to be able to control him like that. Heero certainly didn't seem to like it when he didn't manage to quite seal off his emotions from the world. She remembered the way that he had looked so upset when he left her room. No, she couldn't give in to the scientists here. Still, food was very tempting.

            Suddenly there was huge crash and bricks came tumbling down on the floor, just missing the bed. Rei sat up quickly and stared in shock at the two young girls who appeared in the hole in the wall.

            "Are you Rei Hino?" asked the taller one with a high brown ponytail. Rei just nodded back at her, her eyes as big as Frisbees. "Were here to rescue you. Hurry up Minako, help her up and put her on my back. It won't be long till a soldier finds us."

            Just as the words came out of the girl's mouth an alarm sounded and Rei's cell door flew open. "Freeze," said a cold male voice. 

            Turing to look who it was, Rei saw Heero with gun in hand. She was paralyzed with fear since the two girls seemed unarmed.

            "Sorry sweet heart, but you wont be able to stop us. We'll just take you with us." Minako winked at the boy and drew her gun and fired.

            "NO!" yelled Rei as she saw Heero drop his gun and fall over clutching his arm close to his stomach. With the way he fell, she couldn't tell if he had taken a bullet to his arm or his gut. "HOW COULD YOU?"

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A.N.: Hehehe, don't shoot me! I had to leave at least a little bit of a cliffy. I probably wont be able to get the next chapter out until after New Years. I am going out of town until next week in two days and then leaving for Florida with my band two days after I get back from that.  Well, please review! I love reviews! (yes that is a hint!) And thank you to everyone who does in advance!


	6. Chapter 5: Thoughts and Words

Akina's Notes: Ugh, sorry this took so long. The Orange Bowl was a week ago, but while I was there, I got sick and didn't really feel like writing anything until now. Well, anyway, thanks so much for all the reviews I've gotten! Please read and then review! J

You Remind Me

Chapter 5: Thoughts and Words

Darkness. Blessed darkness filling every corner of his mind. That was how it had been for quite a while now, but a small bit of awareness was beginning to surface and now that awareness was growing. It was growing into something akin to consciousness. In fact, it was a little to damn close. Slowly, the dark world grew into something more than just black images. Now, there was an added sense and it made sounds understandable. God, why did he have to wake up now? Why wouldn't his ears just stop working?

"Heero," rang a voice over again and again in Heero's ears. It hurt so bad to listen, yet it was impossible to ignore that voice.

Carefully, Heero opened his eyes. That was a mistake, the light was blinding. Raising an arm to shield his eyes had been a mistake too. Searing fire raced down his arm. A soft moan of pain managed to escape his lips, his training from Dr. J kicking in to prevent further revealing of his weakness. At least the pain brought reality back to him slightly.

"Sorry about that, I gave you drugs to help ease the pain, but if you move it like that then your gonna feel it."

Dr. J never gave out drugs to his soldiers… What was going on? The few remaining moments before he lost consciousness came back to Heero in a few seconds. He wondered at his passing out since he had sustained far worse injuries and never even came close to passing out. The memory of a sword stabbing him in the leg then progressing to slash across his torso played agonizingly though his mind.

"The bullet was infused with a tranquilizer to make your capture easier. Sorry again, but all of this was necessary." Heero opened his eyes to look upon the speaker. It was the blonde chick with the gun, the very one that shot him. Immediately starting his perfect soldier routine, Heero worked his magic death glare that seemed to intimidate thousands. 

"Stare all you like, sweetheart, it's not going to work on me. See, the threat kind of goes away when the glarer has all but an injured arm locked to a medical table," said the blonde with a small smirk. Her response just made Heero glare even more furiously. "Hey, watch where you're pointing that glare buddy, if you try any harder I might burst into flames." The girl then chuckled at her own joke.

Having failed at trying to accomplish something from glaring at the girl, Heero turned his murderous stare to the small counter that had a small green potted plant on it. Who knew, maybe that would burst into flames. His silent joke caused Heero to chuckle inwardly.

"Just in case you're wondering, Rei is fine. We have her in a medical room a few rooms down. Your boss sure did come close to killing her, he obviously had no idea what he was dealing with," the serious tone of the girl's voice and Rei's name caught Heero's attention. He turned his gaze towards her to show that he was listening, hoping she would go on. "I see I have your attention now, well I'll try to explain a little bit, but I can't tell you exactly what I mean since we have no idea where your loyalties stand.

"What Dr. J failed to see is that Rei is no ordinary human being, she has some powers that even she isn't aware of. In her wanting to defy him, Rei's powers set to work sending a signal out to those who know how to track these things while wasting all the fuel her body had. Not a good thing when someone is starving you like Dr. J was starving her."

"Right, super powers, and do you know how to track these 'signals' that Rei was sending?" Heero let his curiosity get the best of him and broke his perfect soldier cast. 

"I can't really explain anymore to you, I probably said too much already. You don't have to believe me anyway. In the long run that might actually be a good thing."

Heero gave a skeptical snort then resumed his emotionless façade. He too had let his guard fall too low and gave away too much about himself. The perfect soldier routine wouldn't keep him safe from annoying questions now that he had spoken that one sentence. He should be more careful unless he wanted to say something that could earn him a punishment from Dr. J. 

"Well, I have work to do so I'll just leave you to your self. Oh, but don't worry, I'll be back to make sure you haven't tried anything dumb."

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A.N.: O.k…. that was weird, I upload this to ff.net and it cut out like, everything but my notes at the top… Here's the real chapter hopefully this one will work… Oh, I am now grounded form the computer, so it will be a LONG time before I get up the next chapter. I will try when I can sneak on again…(stupid report card) Please review! Pretty please? I love them a lot! … ^_^() I'm so bad about begging…


	7. Chapter 6:The Discovery

Akina's notes: Wow, it's been a long time! It's almost time for report cards to come out, and I'm looking at getting ungrounded now! I can't wait! Well, hope you enjoy this chapter! Please review! 

You Remind Me

Chapter 6:

            Rei sat at a small table stuffing her face with food. It had been so long since she had eaten such good food! She was still in pain, but was feeling better now that she was able to eat something. 'Ah food, glorious food!' Rei cringed. She was beginning to scare herself. 

            "How are you feeling?" asked the tall girl with the brown hair in a ponytail, Rei had learned her name was Makoto. Concern crossed her face.

            "Much better actually. I can't thank you enough for getting me out of there!"

            "Yeah well, we don't like Dr. J and his army much anyway. Besides, we need your help."

            Rei gave a start, "My help? How could I end up helping you? Don't get me wrong, I would do anything for you right now since you helped me out so much, but I don't have any training or anything for this type of stuff. I don't even know what's going on."

            Makoto waved absently at Rei's objections. "Those can be remedied easily. I can't tell you much here, we have to go into private to talk. I don't really think you'll want all these ear able to listen to us. Besides, I think you need to have a few days of rest before you get too involved," Makoto grinned ironically. "Once you start this sort of thing, you get so drawn in, you can't stop even when you want too."

            Rei gave Makoto a quizzical look, but she just shook her head. "Once your finished eating, I'll take you to the room where you'll be staying. You need some sleep and then maybe we can get a healer to fix that ankle for you." The rest of the meal was eaten in silence.

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            Rei sat in a small room. It was a day after she had arrived and she was already feeling much better. Her ankle was finally feeling better. She wondered if it had been drugs they had given her, or if it was something else. It didn't really matter to her one way or the other.

            The brown door opened and Makoto appeared in the doorway. Rei had been shown this room earlier by someone she didn't recognize. She had been instructed to sit in a chair and wait for "the others" to come shortly. Whoever the others were, Rei had no idea. She smiled at Makoto, which was received by a quick grin. Rei wondered what was so serious. Next entered a girl with unnatural short blue hair followed by the blonde girl that had been at Rei's rescue. Each entered in silence wearing a serious face. Last to enter was another blonde girl with the oddest hairstyle Rei had ever seen. Her face was red from running and she was the only one without the same grave expression on her face. Rei frowned; she got the impression form the others' looks that this girl came in late often. How annoying.

            Makoto started what seemed to be a meeting. "Rei, we all know your name, but you would probably like to know all of ours so lets see, that's Ami, Minako, and Usagi." Makoto indicated to each girl in turn who gave a small greeting, except for Usagi who gave an overenthusiastic hello. Rei cringed; she didn't really like this Usagi girl. Hopefully she won't end up being to involved with her too much. Rei gave every girl a small nod, trying to seem cool. Once the introductions were finished, Makoto continued. "This is probably going to sound very unreal to you. It did for each of us too when we first got hear. The reason you fell prisoner to Dr. J's hands was not an accident. There is a war going on between him and us. It is a very dangerous one that involves certain powers that normal humans have no idea about. These powers are extremely powerful and can be dangerous to people who don't know they have them. You, happen to be one of these people. This is the reason Dr. J had you captured, even though Heero had no idea what he was doing, Dr. J had planned your capture for a long time and he did so very meticulously.

            "Each side, Dr. J's and ours, has numerous people with these powers. Heero was one of Dr. J's most powerful soldiers. Unfortunately, Dr. J doesn't see it necessary to inform his soldiers what is going on because that would take some of his control away. See, Dr. J finds people who have these powers and beats them into submission while at the same time training them. This is why we must fight him. People should not be forced into slavery and used in the way he seems to want to. If we allowed him to do what he is without check, the entire world would be at his disposal. 

            "Rei, this is why we need you. We are hoping that you will be willing to train the powers you posses and help us out. You know what Dr. J will do to people if he wins this war we are fighting."

            Rei sat in a stunned silence. Her mind was spinning from the thoughts that ran in circles in her head and her stomach was trying to do jumping jacks. She swallowed hard. What she had just been told seemed so unreal. Yet, from the expressions on the other girls' faces, it was true. How could she have such a strong force inside her, and fail to be able to feel it? How could she not know? Another thing that bothered her was this war thing. How did she not find out about this? Wars weren't exactly easy to keep secret.

            "Please, we need your help Rei." Makoto's voice was distant. Rei thought of what Dr. J had done to her, what he had tried to do. She felt determined to not allow him to achieve a victory of any kind. Slowly, she nodded her head and then averted her eyes to look at everyone in the room. Her eyes shone with a fiery light of determination.

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            Heero lay in his own prison. Not only was he strapped down to a hospital bed in a locked room; he was trapped inside his own mind. His mind was hammered with nightmare after nightmare. Rei watched him with a concerned face. There was something in this boy that had struck the depths of her soul. It seemed every action of his contradicted itself. He blew up her apartment complex, yet had risked his life to save a little girls and in a sense, her own. His eyes would shine with an unknown emotion, yet he would act so cold and cruel. It bothered Rei that she couldn't puzzle him out. The pieces just didn't seem to fit.

            Soundlessly, Rei walked over to the bed. She laid her hand across Heero's forehead and tried to sooth him a bit. His forehead was burning with heat. "It's ok Heero, I will make sure nothing happens to you." Rei whispered so soft she could barely hear herself. He quieted almost immediately. A few seconds later, his eyes shot open.

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A.N.: Do not worry non-Usagi fans! I won't give Usagi a very big part and I refuse to let her be "Superwoman savior of us all." She's just going to be Usagi, slightly annoying (ok maybe more than slightly…) and more like the manga version than anime. Well, as always please review! I need to feel wanted… lol J


	8. Chapter 7:Pieces

Akina's Notes: Hey all! Thank you to everyone who reviewed and read this story! I really do appreciate it. Sorry for not putting too much romance in here yet. I have to get the story more established and the characters to know each other more before I start getting them to be all lovey-dovey. The romance should start to show up more now. Don't worry; all of your questions should be answered in the story! If you're confused, put your question in your review and I'll do my best to answer them! 

You Remind Me

Chapter 7: Pieces

            Heero stared at the ceiling. His thoughts kept drifting to Rei and everything that she had done to him since their first encounter in that apartment building. He wondered why she had been standing by him when he had awoken. Her face had been so concerned, and that concern had seemed directed at him. Why would anyone concern themselves with him? He certainly wasn't worth their time. He was akin to a thorn stuck in one's finger, more annoying than anything and even painful to have around. That was what Dr. J had told him for years. Dr. J had tried to teach him to be helpful, but Heero continually messed up everything the doctor planned. So, what was it that had Rei so interested in him? The click of the lock and the opening of the door to his room interrupted his thoughts.

            Heero shifted his gaze to take in the intruder. It was Rei and another girl whom he recognized as the other girl who had broken into Rei' cell in Dr. J's base. This other reminder of his failure stabbed into him like a knife to the heart. The girl looked at him carefully, sizing him up.

            "Rei here seems to think that it would be better if we let you wander around for a little while. She has the idea that you might end up healing faster if you had some freedom and see other walls than these." The girl gestured around the room to emphasize her point. "I don't see why not. So, what do you think about some walking around a while? We'll even let you go outdoors." She looked to Heero expectantly. For a moment, he just lay there, not sure what to make of this new situation. Some exercise might do him some good and help him get more of a feel for this place. The more he knew, the easier escape back to Dr. J would be. He nodded his head in agreement. The girl smiled, "good, I'll go get the key to those restraints. Rei, why don't you come with me?" With that the two girls left.

            Heero suddenly felt giddy, he was going to be able to walk around! Quickly he shook his head to clear his head of such thoughts. There was no time for that. He needed to get back to Dr. J, and possibly he could spare himself the almost certain beating.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rei followed Makoto out of Heero's room and down the hallway. She was so relived that he had agreed to walk around. There were a lot of questions that she wanted him to answer.

"Rei. Listen to me! Rei!" Makoto's voice snapped Rei back to the real world. "You need to be careful with Heero. He's dangerous, even though he doesn't seems it. He will be looking for a way to escape so he can return to Dr. J." Rei opened her mouth to protest, but Makoto waved a hand for silence and then continued. "I know it's hard to understand why he would try to return to that monster, but Dr. J is smart. He manages to make those under his control believe that no one else wants them. That he is worthless without Dr. J. I've seen it before. It's not an easy belief to undo either. Don't push him, he'll fight you every step of the way." Makoto then gave Rei a hard look. "No using your powers either. You don't know enough about them to control them properly, you could hurt him or yourself or both. You are one of the strongest psychics I have ever met; don't be tempted to use what you have learned so far on him. Like I said, you might do more harm than good. His soul is pretty damaged, and it will take a lot to heal it again. I don't want anyone to make it any worse."

Rei nodded. She hadn't really thought of using what powers she had on Heero anyway. It hadn't even occurred to her that they might help. She was still getting used to the idea of her being able to do things with her mind other than think. The others had said that she had another power other than the psychic powers she possessed. Though what those were, they hadn't even hinted at.

"I'll lead you two to the inner courtyard. It's completely secure so he won't be able to escape, and it has plenty of fresh air that could do him some good. I'll lock you two in so you can have some privacy. You won't have to worry about anyone hearing your conversation, but we have the place under watch so he won't be able to try anything. All right, that's all you need to know.  Lets head back to Heero's room." 

Rei gave Makoto a quizzical look. "What about the key?"

An evil grin spread across the taller girl's face. "You didn't really think that we needed a key to open those locks did you?" When Rei gave a small nod, Makoto pretended to be taken aback. "Please Rei, remember what we are!" The two girls were laughing as the stepped into Heero's room once again.

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            Rei walked alongside Heero watching his face intently. They were alone in the courtyard, which was filled with large trees from giant oaks to maples. Flowers sprang up in all places and the grass was a deep lush green. It was simply a beautiful place filled with peace, a perfect place to try to get Heero to open up a bit.

            "How is your arm, Heero?" asked Rei casually, trying to get a conversation started.

            "Hn," replied Heero.

            Rei blinked, 'w_ay to make it difficult buddy_,' she thought. "What was that?"

            "It's fine." Growled Heero. Rei guessed that he didn't really want to talk, but she pressed on anyway.

            "Well, that's good that it's feeling better." When no reply came Rei wanted to grab Heero and shake and yell at him for being so rude. Instead, she stated politely, "It's nice out here, isn't it?" A small snort was the only response she got. "Must be a nice change to get outside of those walls hm?" More silence. Rei's temper flared and this time she didn't try to conceal it. "Well, you could at least seem a little more interested in doing something other than lie there clamped down on that bed!" she yelled. Heero just looked blankly at her. "God dammit you're so frustrating!" Rei was all but fuming. She gave him a glare that would have frightened Satan himself.

            Heero took each thing she threw at him with a seemingly emotional face. The comments were nothing new to him. Suddenly, Rei changed her demeanor. "I'm sorry, Heero. It's just I want to help you with whatever is shutting you up inside yourself so. I didn't mean to yell at you like that." The apology made Heero start. He had been expecting her to lash out at him with blows or extreme verbal abuse, not apologize to him. He stared at her, '_maybe this is a trap_.' Looking down into her eyes, he didn't see any sign of such a thing though. She looked honestly sorry. '_She has the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen, so honest and open. Why is she looking at me like that?_' He was angry at her for making him think like that. "Don't you have someone else to spend your time on?" he asked coldly.

            Rei cheeks flushed angrily for a moment. Then she shook her head gently. Grabbing Heero's hand to make sure she had his complete attention, she spoke. "I really do care about you Heero. You have to be by far one of the most interesting people I have ever met. Honestly, I didn't mean anything I said earlier. Whenever you're ready to open up, I'm ready to listen." Staring at him the way she was, made her realize how good looking Heero actually was. His dark hair and steely gave him a handsome face. Rei tried to banish the thoughts from her head. He needs a friend right now, not a girlfriend! Save the romance for later when his mind is back together.

            Heero turned away from Rei sharply. How could he tell her anything? He was a monster, a worthless person! She wouldn't even want to look at him when she knew what he really was. He realized that he was shaking and didn't care. He couldn't bring himself to believe that she really wanted to know anything about him. How could he have thought that she was actually interested in helping him? She was this beautiful wonderful person and he was a monster, a murderer even! He felt her hand on his shoulder and roughly shrugged it off. He thought of how Dr. J would laugh at him, laugh at how he had thought for a moment, someone cared.

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A.N.:  Thanks for reading! Please review! That's the only way to get any questions answered and the only way that I will know more on what to write future chapters about. I try to answer questions in my writing, really, I do! So, click that review button! Lol Well, if you want to know a bit about what I'm going to go with this story, listen to the song "Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence. I think that it kind of goes with the story (from Heero's point of view at least.) Well, that's all for now! 


	9. Chapter 8:Something to Believe

You Remind Me

Chapter 9: Something to Believe

Akina's Notes: I really need to start updating more often. Sorry this took so incredibly long. Thank you for anyone who has loyally read every chapter and has been patient with me taking so long! This chapter is pretty short, but I came to a great stopping point, expect the next chapter in a few days! Please _read and review._

Rei stared sadly out the window of her room. She just felt so bone weary and helpless. It had been a week since she had begun to go with Heero out to the courtyard and every time the same thing happened. Between him and the training she was going through to learn how to use her powers, every day she went to bed sore and beaten down. She wasn't about to let her weariness get the best of her. Rei Hino never gave up; she just kept fighting, no matter the circumstances. 

On the bright side, her control over her powers was growing day by day. Rei could now keep a steady flame going right above her hand. It was physically draining to do so, but she could do it. Her psychic powers were developing too. She had learned that doing a fire reading was the easiest way for her to learn things. She figured it was because her other powers revolved around fire. She could also find things out about people by coming into contact with them some times. That had happened a few times, and it always came as a shock. Today was her day off of lesson, so she had decided to spend her free time with Heero.

Getting up from the window she looked in the mirror hanging on the wall. Her eyes were all purple underneath. She hadn't gotten a lot of sleep last night; her dreams had been invaded with nightmares. _Fire and flames were consuming everything. Terror could be seen in everyone's eyes, everyone except Heero's. He seemed to be almost welcoming the destruction. Suddenly some invisible force knocked him down and he didn't get back up. "Nooooooooo_!" She had woken up at that point with tears streaming down her face. Each time she had fallen asleep, that dream had assailed her. Shuddering, she hurried on her way to see Heero.

Walking into his room, she saw him safe in his bed and felt a little better. _'It was just a dream, chill out Rei!'_ Smiling with relief she walked to his bedside. They had long stopped using restraints to keep him on the bed, but he still rarely got up. "Hello, Heero." He didn't even glance at her. "How are you?" No response came from the young man. Tears welled up in Rei's eyes, how could he be so cold? "Why do you never answer me?" she asked sadly.

"Why do you do this to me?" Heero asked in response. He turned to face her, his eyes sad and angry at the same time.

"What do you mean? I haven't done anything but try to be your friend!"

"That! Stop pretending that you care. How could anyone so beautiful and full of life care? Stop teasing me, I'm not a toy." Heero's voice was edged with ice as he spoke

Rei's voice was filled with chocked back sobs when she managed to whisper, "Is that what you think? That I'm just trying to trap you? What did that fucking bastard do to you? I'd kill him if I thought it would help you! God dammit Heero! I want to help you! How many fucking times do I have to say that to convince you?!"

Heero stared at her a few moments seeming to fight his emotions. Sitting up he asked, "Why should I believe you? Anything anyone's ever told me has been a lie. What makes you different?"

"Heero, I swear to you, I am not lying. You saved my life. I know that you can't hate everyone or else you wouldn't have done that." She grabbed him roughly by the shoulders and looked deeply into his eyes. "What happened to you to make you think that I wouldn't care?" He tried to look away, but she grabbed his face and forced him to look into her eyes. "Why won't you tell me?" 

The honesty and caring that Heero saw in those violet eyes was all he needed. He had been on the verge of breaking down for a while now, and when he looked into her eyes, he knew at that moment she was being sincere. He felt tears building up in his eyes and didn't care. It was like a dam had broken. His tears began to fall and he cried for what he had to go through for the first time in 10 years. Everything begun tumbling out about how Dr. J had beaten him and controlled his life sense he had been three years old. How at the age of 7 he had realized that whenever he showed any emotion that his beatings were so much worse. That had been when he had stopped crying, stopped laughing, stopped truly living.

Rei gathered Heero into a hug and let him cry. In fact, she felt herself crying with him. "It's okay. I'll never let him hurt you again. I'll never let anyone hurt you ever again, not as long as I live." When she said this, Heero believed her and it felt so wonderful to have something to believe in again.

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A.N.: Again, sorry it was so short, but I felt that it was a good stopping point and you can't fight those feelings. More to come soon, I promise! Hope you enjoyed and make sure to tell me what you think!


	10. Chater 9

Akina's Notes: Look! A chapter before it has been a month has gone by! It's coming out a little later than expected, but I've had busy weeks. I've had to work all but two nights this week and it's final exam time and then more work…! (I feel like I'm about to fall over from exhaustion or stress, whichever comes first ;)  Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! Believe me, it means so much, every time I read all the wonderful comments, I feel like jumping around. All right, on with the story! Please read and review!

You Remind Me

Chapter 9:

            Heero stood staring out his window. He was finally beginning to feel like a real person again, and it felt so wonderful to feel again. There was love in his life for the first time since he was just a baby. He could laugh again, and he had Rei to thank for that. She was the one person who had truly fought against the barriers he had put on his mind. Closing his eyes, Heero thought of the woman who held his heart. Her hair was so long and silky, her smoky scent was invigorating, and her eyes were more vivid and held more depth than any gem or ocean ever could. Those things all made her beautiful, but what really made her shine was her soul. She was such a great person. She had been the only person to break through to him, had been the only one who tried. Her very being radiated honesty and a fierce caring for her loved ones. Sometimes, her temper got the best of her, but she always tried to let him know how much she truly cared.

            Heero slowly opened his eyes, Rei's image fading from his mind as his thoughts continued to elsewhere. He wondered what Dr. J was doing and how Duo was. He felt a pang of guilt when he thought about the other young man that he had worked with. Though not truly a friend, Duo had been the closest thing to one Heero had until Rei came along. Now, Heero was free from Dr. J's clutches and slowly healing his wounds, while Duo could be worse than dead by now. _He could turn into what I was_, the thought made his stomach turn into a giant knot. He had to rescue his old comrade. The problem was how to go about doing it; he had a feeling that it wouldn't be so easy to go around and blow things up anymore. _I have the freedom to feel, but that freedom has also tied me down. _He knew that taking another human life would all but be impossible now, how was he going to get Duo out of that damn place if he couldn't kill anyone who stood in his way. In desperation, Heero clutched his forehead.

            "Heero?" came a soft voice from behind him. "What is wrong Heero?" Turning, Heero saw Rei peering at him through eyes that were filled with concern.

            Shaking his head, Heero replied, "Nothing." He gave a shake of his head to try and sound more convincing.

            Rei raised her eyebrows and a slightly skeptical smile crossed her lips. "You should know better than try to convince me of that."

            Heero sighed. What the woman said was very true. "I do know better, I just figured I'd give it a shot."

            "Well, why don't you tell me about it?" Rei moved closer and Heero wondered if she knew just how beautiful she was.

            "I've been worrying about Duo. I'm afraid of what might be happening to him, " he said with a sigh.

            "Duo?" asked Rei. The name was familiar, but she couldn't quite put it with a face.

            "The guy who I was talking to the day I, we, captured you." Heero winced at the reminder at how this all started. He hoped that the bringing up of that memory would make Rei mad.

            "Oh," was all Rei said. Heero cursed silently at himself for reminding her of their previous encounter. Rei saw the pained look in his eyes and quickly assured him that all was forgiven or forgotten. "Even though that was my best of days, I wouldn't give it up for the world, Heero. How else would I have gotten the chance to grow close to you? And about Duo, if you are worried, you probably have good reason. I do remember that bastard Dr. J and if anyone is left in his clutches, I am certain they need help. I'll find out what I can do to set up a rescue mission." Heero gave her an appreciative look and nodded in agreement of her plan. "I have to go now though, Makoto wanted to talk to me about something. I promised I'd meet her in five minutes from now."

            Rei turned to leave, but something made Heero grab her arm. She looked at him with a questioning look. Uncertainly, Heero pulled her in for a kiss. When their lips touched, it was like being filled with life. Nothing he had every tasted or felt was sweeter. They ended the kiss with reluctance and stared into each other's eyes. Rei smiled up at him. "What was that for?" she asked breathlessly.

            "Just letting you know how much you mean to me and just how beautiful you really are," his voice said. He was in shock at what he had just done, but he was also pleased with the result. Rei's smile lit up her entire face and he couldn't help but smile back. She then slipped out of his arms and exited the room.

            As soon as she was gone, his mind started thinking about Dr. J again. The man filled his dreams at night and many of his thoughts during the day. The only times he seemed to be able to pull his mind away from those dark thoughts was when Rei was near him. She made everything feel safe and secure. With her there, everything was fine. Heero traced his lips with his fingers as he remembered the kiss he had just given her. He hadn't planned to kiss her, he hadn't even really thought about it, it had just happened and seemed natural enough at the time. Sighing, Heero went to the bed and sat down, trying to get his thoughts together.

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            Rei walked quickly along the hallway, only half aware of what was going on around her. He had called her beautiful! Even more, he had kissed her! That had been such a surprise, though it was a pleasant one. A glance at her watch made her quicken her steps.

            Arriving at the room that Makoto had told her to come to, Rei glanced at her watch to make sure she wasn't late. Being late for something was one of her pet peeves and she always made a point to be right on time or early. Opening the door with the pass code Makoto had given her, Rei stepped in to a darkened room. _Good, that means I am not late. _Rei started to let out a sigh when she felt another presence in the room, her stomach tightened. Hardly needing to think about what she was doing, she began to make a flame in her hand. Only nothing happened.

            "Do not bother trying to draw on your powers, we have blocked you from the use of them," said a lofty voice Rei did not recognize.

            Pinpointing where the voice come from Rei began to charge at her opponent only to be caught by another. Her arms were then secured behind her back and a blindfold was tied around her head. Breathing hard from fear, Rei tried to think of ways of escape.

            "You have been selected to become one of the senshi," said the lofty voice. "But first you must pass our tests. Before you pass these tests, you are to be lead to our secret lair. Once we arrive at our destination, your blindfold and restraints will be removed and your tests will begin. They will be difficult and dangerous. Though, to join our ranks you must endure them. To fail means to bring injury or death upon yourself, and even if you fail one test, you will never be tested again and thus will never be one of us. Of course, you may end it here and we will release you here and now and will not bother you again."

            _The senshi?_ Thought Rei in more shock than anything else. She had heard whispers of them between soldiers and she had heard them mentioned during her training with the others. For all she heard of them though, she knew little, only that they were an elite group of warriors both feared and respected.  Lifting her chin Rei said. "I am not afraid, I will pass your tests." She hoped none of the senshi could hear through her lie.

            "Then you are a fool, but we can discuss that later." Rei felt someone push her from behind none too gently and she began to walk. Blindfolded as she was, Rei had no idea what direction the where headed after the first two turns. All she knew was that the trip was constantly going downhill. As they continued, the air grew moist and frigid.

            After what seemed like hours, Rei ran into a force, causing her to stop. The bindings on her wrists fell away. After a few moments, Rei cautiously reached up and removed the blindfold.  It didn't help much. All her surroundings were enveloped in darkness.

            "You have been brought here to face the trials of a senshi to see if you have what it takes. Being a senshi is being the best of the best, you must not only have strength in you body, but as well as mind and spirit too. You must be able to produce a plan in a matter of seconds that will be both effective and efficient. This is what is required of you. These tests mark the beginning of your training as a senshi, and the start, now."

            Once that lofty voice was finished speaking, faint green light appeared across from where Rei was standing. Walking towards it, a door came into focus and it was marked by the sign of Jupiter.

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A.N.: Okay, so this took a **_lot_** longer than planned. I did manage to get this out sooner than expected though. Sorry if there are mistakes in grammar, I didn't proofread it near as well as usual. Please forgive me for not getting this out sooner! As always thanks for reading and now that you have read this, aren't you compelled to tell me what you think? Review… review…review…..review….review….


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